A $4 billion deal to acquire DigitalBridge Group is accelerating SoftBank Group’s artificial intelligence infrastructure timeline, both companies announced. The transaction reflects founder Masayoshi Son’s urgency in establishing SoftBank’s dominance in infrastructure supporting AI technologies before competitors can match the scale.
The acquisition provides SoftBank with immediately accessible digital infrastructure assets, which deliver the computing, storage, and networking capabilities essential for AI systems. Son has been systematically focusing SoftBank’s investments on artificial intelligence, viewing rapid execution as critical to success. The massive demand for computing resources to power AI applications has made speed essential, and acquiring DigitalBridge’s established portfolio accelerates SoftBank’s timeline significantly.
DigitalBridge invests across essential digital infrastructure sectors including datacenters, cell tower networks, fiber systems, small-cell infrastructure, and edge computing facilities. Portfolio companies include prominent businesses such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. Originally established as Colony Capital in 1991 with a traditional real estate focus, the firm underwent a complete transformation under CEO Marc Ganzi’s leadership, exiting legacy property investments and adopting the DigitalBridge name in 2021.
Following the acquisition, Ganzi will continue as CEO with DigitalBridge operating as a separately managed platform, allowing SoftBank to accelerate without disrupting operations. The timeline advantage is substantial: DigitalBridge had roughly $108 billion in assets under management as of the end of September, giving SoftBank immediate scale rather than requiring years to build organically. This acceleration is strategic in the fast-moving AI infrastructure market.
SoftBank’s accelerated AI infrastructure strategy includes other major initiatives. The company is a core partner in the Stargate project, collaborating with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investor headquartered in Abu Dhabi. This ambitious venture involves billions of dollars in investments to build large-scale computing infrastructure purpose-built for advanced AI development. The project includes plans for five computing facilities in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with approximately 7 gigawatts of total power capacity.